


A Stolen Moment

by anonniemoose



Series: The Arcana Oneshots [3]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: M/M, Slow Dancing, Trans Man Character, Trans!character, also toby is short because i am toby and i am short, idk what else to say, is literally just a stolen moment between my mc and muriel, mentions of lucio's return, muriel is soft boy ok?, self indulgent fic tbh, soft, that dancing scene, to make up for all the fics i write for others loooool
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:22:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27922210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonniemoose/pseuds/anonniemoose
Summary: “I liked dancing with you. It was….nice.”“Just nice?” Toby teases. Muriel shakes his head, hiding his smirk from the smaller man.“Felt good. No one was watching us. Just. Us together. Doing something for us.” He sighs. “Since the Countess tasked us with stopping Lucio, it feels like we have done little just for us.”“We stopped at the Steppe. Spoke to Khamgalai. Learnt about your past.” He reminds.Muriel shakes his head again. “That was for me. But. The dancing? That was for us.” He explains.Muriel is struggling during the transition between his home being a sanctuary and it becoming a camp for the escapees of Vesuvia. The moment Toby finds him having a quiet moment alone, they decide to recreate the one other time they did something for themselves and themselves only.
Relationships: Apprentice/Muriel (The Arcana), Muriel (The Arcana)/Original Character(s)
Series: The Arcana Oneshots [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1860940
Kudos: 7





	A Stolen Moment

**Author's Note:**

> Listen. Am I trash? Yes. Do I care? No. Is this a self-insert? Most definitely.
> 
> This is the first fic with Muriel I ever wrote, and although I'm not 100% happy with it, the ending of Muriel's route is approaching, and I wanted to share this with all of y'all seeings I'm in the middle of writing a) another Muriel/MC fic where it's my alternative to what happens when the two of you dance at the ball and b) a modern AU fic with all of the Arcana characters with MC living in a polycule. Basically, I want proof of how far I've come with writing one of the hardest characters I've ever written fanfiction for.
> 
> So. Look out for that - it'll come over probably over my Christmas break. But for now. Enjoy this really self-indulgent piece.

Muriel had been spending more and more time away from the hut. It was understandable, every day more people escaping from Vesuvia ended up coming straight for his home and to say Muriel struggled around people was a major understatement. Luckily for Toby, he knew exactly where Muriel would go the moment he needed space away from everyone else, and (again) luckily for him, he knew he was invited to follow Muriel whenever he wished, Muriel having previously stated that his presence was never a bother.

Toby follows the beaten track that not many would have noticed as he walks towards one of the rivers that branch off from the larger one near Muriel’s home. Sure enough, there he was, sitting by a tree as he watches the water flow, quietly meditating over something that Toby can’t figure out from facial features alone. Toby clears his throat, gaining the taller man’s attention as he smiles at him. “Room for one more?”

Muriel barely nods, shifting slightly so Toby can sit next to him, the pair watching the river together quietly as they enjoy the near silence that they haven’t been able to get since Lucio’s return.

Muriel’s mind keeps wandering back to the night of Lucio’s return, but not for the reason one may think. He keeps thinking over the small moment he and Toby had away from everyone else, on the balcony. When Toby danced with him. He could remember how Toby, despite being almost comically shorter than him, took the lead and carefully let him in a waltz to their own beat, how he looked up at Muriel with patient eyes and a kind smile, which quickly twisted into one of mischief when he attempted to drop him, only for the pair to topple on top of each other. He can remember how good it felt to have Toby on top of him, how every second spent at the masquerade before Lucio returned made him feel warm, special. Loved. And deserving of it. Try as he might, Muriel can’t seem to move on from that moment, remembering how it felt to have one hand on Toby’s shoulder as Toby’s small hand rested on his waist, their spares holding each other tightly as Muriel’s hand all almost completely enveloping Toby’s. How they moved together jerkily but it never seemed to bother the pair of them, almost as if they were able to read each other’s next move. How desperately Muriel wanted to lean down to press his lips against Toby’s, the only thing holding him back was his own anxiety. God, he really wished that he had kissed him now, if only if it wasn’t for-

“What’s up buttercup?” Toby eventually pulls Muriel from his thoughts. Muriel, startled, looks down at the boy below him. “Whatchya thinkin’ about?” He rewords.

“You.” He says bluntly, cheeks flushing a light pink. “The balcony.”

Toby thinks for a second before his mouth draws into a little ‘o’ in realisation. “You remembering the moment when I dropped you?” He jokes, nudging him in the side gently.

Muriel’s lips turn into a soft smile as he shakes his head. “Before that. The dancing.” Toby’s head tilts to the side in slight confusion. “I liked it. More than the lemons.” Toby smiles brightly.

“You could probably grow a couple of lemon trees out here, ya know.” Toby says, slightly distracted as he looks over the forest area. “Just gotta be careful where ya plant it.” He looks lost in his thoughts for a second before he turns to Muriel with a small smile. “You looked incredible that night. Still do.” He moves to touch the clothing Nadia had given him for the party, clearing away an invisible crease. “Suits you. The colours, I mean. Makes your eyes pop. Makes you look handsomer than ever.” Toby’s grin grows when Muriel splutters slightly at the praise. “I wish my outfit survived the move.” He continues, giving Muriel a way out. During the rush to Muriel’s hut, Toby’s outfit had been ripped to shreds when he fell on the way through the forest.

“Suited you too.” He comments. “You looked…..good.”

Toby smiles softly. “Ah. Well. You said that when I changed into this.” He indicates to his usual wear.

Muriel shakes his head, cheeks heating up again but he can’t bring himself to care. “You always look good. You looked…. better than handsome.” He struggles for words. “Perfect. You looked perfect.” He finally says quietly.

Now it’s Toby’s turn to be flustered, his cheeks heating up to a bright red as he turns away from Muriel. “Well. Thank you?” His thanks is worded more as a question, clearly unsure on how to take the complement. He clears his throat before moving the conversation along. “I really liked dancing with you too.” He admits. “I love the way you laughed afterwards. Your smile makes me happy.”

Muriel lets out a small hum. “Your smile makes me happy too.” There is a beat. “I liked dancing with you. It was….nice.”

“Just nice?” Toby teases. Muriel shakes his head, hiding his smirk from the smaller man.

“Felt good. No one was watching us. Just. Us together. Doing something for us.” He sighs. “Since the Countess tasked us with stopping Lucio, it feels like we have done little just for us.”

“We stopped at the Steppe. Spoke to Khamgalai. Learnt about your past.” He reminds.

Muriel shakes his head again. “That was for me. But. The dancing? That was for us.” He explains.

Toby places his hand over his for a second, squeezing softly. “Even if it was meant for you, it was a privilege to be there with you for it.” He says softly. Muriel doesn’t bother to reply, happy to just hold Toby’s hand for a time.

The pair sit in silence for a little while longer before Toby stands, offering his hand.

“C’mon. Whilst we have this time together, we can make it about us.” He tugs Muriel to stand, his hand moving to rest on his waist and the other to grab Muriel’s hand. Muriel looks down at him before placing his hand on his shoulder, shorter than it was on the night of the masquerade now he wasn’t in heels. “I forget how tall you are.” He grumbles, holding back a grin when he sees Muriel’s amusement written all over his face.

“Not that you complain.” He says as Toby slowly starts to lead the pair in a waltz similar to the one they danced at the masquerade only this one was smoother, more practised, a clearer 1-2-3 pattern emerging the more they dance together on the uneven ground.

“Oh, quite the opposite, I assure you.” Toby grins up at him, carefully turning the pair so they don’t run into the tree behind him. The moonlight and starlight beaming through the trees were their only light, the only sound reaching their ears was the river rushing beside them, the crickets hidden in the grass, the far off sounds of the Vesuvia camp and, eventually, the soft sounds of Toby humming a small tune for them to dance to. The moment was soft, hidden. Just for the two of them. The same urge Muriel felt at the masquerade washes over him, the light of the moon hitting Toby in a way that made him appear almost ethereal. It wouldn’t take much, all he had to do was lean down.

Toby leans up before he has the chance, pressing a small kiss to the corner of his mouth. As he moves back, Muriel chases him forward, pressing a proper kiss to his lips, the pair slowly beginning to sway before finally they stop moving as they continue to kiss, and kiss and kiss, both of them feeling warmer than they had before, both of their cheeks flushing pink. Muriel is the one to pull back slightly, both of them slightly breathless as Muriel rests his forehead against Toby’s, the latter trying his hardest to stay put and not chase him for yet another kiss.

“Does it feel the same?” Toby asks quietly as if he doesn’t want to break the moment between the two of them.

“No.” Muriel admits as the pair spin slightly before they start the same 1-2-3 pattern again. “It feels better.”


End file.
